Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani – Celebrated Independence day with yummy Dhokla

I might be few days late but Happy Independence day to all our Indian … Nothing brings back memories of the good old school days. Still remember those beautiful fun filled Independence Day celebration in school. Independence Day is a national holiday in India, which is always a good thing. But, we did go to the school early in the morning for the flag hoisting ceremony. Our school principal or sometime guest used to hoist the flag, we had special performances in the assembly hall. Not to forget at the end our teacher used to give some sweets “Laddu” and “Candies”, I always fight to get more from teachers and class-fellows. After getting handful of candies, I immediately wait for auto-riksha and come to my home. But once we finished school, there was nothing much to do this day except for the special movies on the TV and the holiday. Now I am starting to miss those celebration, Laddu and candies very badly. Will I ever get a chance to celebrate Independence day in school hmm? I wish I can recreate the magic for our US-born children so that they can relish what will be an indelible impression in our mind and some of the best times of our life. So this year, just in the spirit of Independence day I decided to take my son for Independence day parade here in bay area and make this yummy breakfast and I call them Tiranga Dhokla. Tiranga means tricolor in Hindi, and the Indian flag is also fondly called Tiranga (because of the colors).So here is the recipe for this beautiful snack that goes great with green chutney or ketchup. Ingredients:

• 3 cups medium-grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups urad daal (White Lentils/ Black lentils with skin removed)
• 1 cup sour yogurt
• Warm water as needed
• 1-2 tbs spicy coriander or coriander mint chutney
• 1-2 tbs carrot paste (boil, grind to paste)
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt (divide into three parts)

For the Tadka (tempering)

• 2 tbsps vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafetida powder
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil to grease the cooking pan
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Directions: Wash the rice and urad daal together until the water runs clear. I do this in a sieve to make it easy. Put the rice-daal mixture in a deep bowl and top up with warm water to cover. Soak for 2-3 hours. Now drain all the water and grind the mixture in your food processor, using as little water as possible to lubricate the mixture as you grind it. Grind till you get a smooth paste. Now add the sour yogurt and a little hot water at a time to make a batter that resembles thick pancake batter. Divide equally into three bowls. For the saffron layer – Add carrot paste along with red chilli powder and whisk until smooth For the white layer – Whisk in the ginger garlic paste and ¼ cup of water into the second bowl. For the green layer – Mix in the coriander or coriander mint chutney into the third bowl Once done, cover and keep aside in a warm, dry place for 2-3 hours. For Steaming the Dhoklas To make the 3 layer dhokla you will need 3 small equal size flat bottom pan (2” high sides).  You can use one pan and wash after steaming every layer of dhoklas. Apply some oil to a deep, flat bottomed stainless steel vessel (like a cake pan) that fits into your pressure cooker. Pour some water into the cooker and let it boil. Once the water boils, add the eno to the batters and mix it up. You should see the batter froth up a little. Pour it into the prepared vessel to half the height, leaving ample space for the steamed batter to rise up and expand. If you are going to do this in batches, add the eno to the divided batter each time before steaming rather than adding it to the whole mixture. This ensures that the dhokla will become soft and fluffy. Place it into the cooker and let it steam for about 10 minutes. Do not put the whistle on the cooker (just like idlis) Insert a toothpick in the center to see if its cooked through, then remove from the cooker and allow to cool a little. Repeat the above cooking steps with all remaining batter. To assemble, invert the green layer gently onto the serving plate. Sprinkle some of the tempering on it. Top with the white layer, add a little more of the spiced oil and then finally the saffron layer with the rest of the seasoning.Cut the cooked Dhoklas into square, rectangular or diamond shapes and arrange in a plate. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with tamarind Chutney and/ or Coriander mint chutney.